Speedometer drive connection



Aug. 17, 192s.

n F. G. WHITTINGTON SPEEDOMETER DRIVE CONNECTI 0N Filed March 25, 1922 2 sheetssheet 1 Aug) 17 1926. 1,596,643

F. G. wHlTTlNGToN I SPEEDOMETER DRIVE CONNECTION Filed Mal-C525. 1922 2 vsheets-shew; 2

l A danam www f MMM @l/f m Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

burnin s'rATEsj 15M-relaiv4 OFFICE.

FREDERIK-G. WHITTINGTON, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, IASSIGNOR TO STEWART- WARNER SPEEDOIVIETER CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONy OF VIRGINIA.

SPEEDOMETER DRIVE CONNECTION.N

Application filed March 25, 1922. Serial No. 546,602.

The purpose of this invention is to pro vide an improved construction for coiii `necting with the driving mechanism of an automobile, a flexible shaft or the like for driving an indicating instrument,` such as. It consists in Figure l is apartly sectional side eleva-y tion of a portion of the drive mechanism of.

an automobile proximate to and including a customary form of universal joint connection Vin "the fore-and-aft-extending propeller shaft, section being made axially on` the propeller shaft through the part thereon concerned in this invention.

Figure 2 is a section at the line, 2i`-2, on Figure l. i

Figure 3v is an axial sectionof a'portion.

of a propeller shaft and its bearings and adjacent parts, corresponding to the parts shown in Figures 1 and 2, in which the universal joint is of a different form and is enclosed in a housing.

Figure 4 is a view similar tor Figure 3, showing a slight modification.

In the drawings the transmission casing of an automobile is shown at A, the Aforvvard section of a fore-and-aft propeller shaft protruding therefrom is shown at B, and the universal coupling of the companion flange type is shown at G. On the hub, C1, of the forward companion flange there is shown in Figures l and 2, a spiral gear, D, which as illustrated is an annulus fitted and keyed fast on said'hub. E is a bracket having three arms, El, by which it is secured fast to the rea-r side of the transmission casing, A, and comprising as its center portion a housing for the gear, D, and for that purpose having at its opposite'sides or ends annular bushings, F and F1, adapted for holding packing shown at f, therein, said bushings and the packing Which they contain making liquid-tight joints with the annular gear member at opposite sides of the gear-toothed periphery of the latter, as seen at 0l, d1. The housing, E, is extended at one side of the gear chamber thereof, forming at E2, a recess or supplemental housing chamber, which is apertured. at one end for admission thereinto of a driven gear, the spiral or tvvistftoothed pinion, Gr, Which is fast on a driven shaft, H, said shaft being provided with a journal bearing sleeve, J, i

screwed into the end aperture of the metal housing, Y for that purpose. The shaft, `H, is reduced t2, Whichs interiorly threadedA in diameter at its outerl end portion to form a shoulder at Infor stopping against the inner end of the sleeve, J. For stopping said shaft in the opposite direction and for further journaling it, its innerend beyond the pinion, G, is reduced in diametenfornr.

ing a pintle at lil, for yWhichj ournall bearing is provided in the housing axially aligned with the end aperture thereof in which the sleeve isscrewed; The protruding end of the sleeve andthe shaft, H, are adapted respectively for attaching a flexible shaft casing and the rotating member of the flexible shaft for driving a-speedonieterl or the like.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modification of the construction above described in Which the universal connection of the propeller shaft is of the familiar double fork type, adapted to be housed in. On the universal coupling member, C", there is shown mounted in the same manner as in Figures l and 2, a spiral gear annulus, D. In this form the forward member of the housing, DX, which With its companion member, DY, partly shown, houses the universal coupling, serves also as the housino` for the driven gear, G, and its shaft, which may be understood as having the same sleeve bearing, J, as shown in the other forms, the entire unit, comprising said sleeve bearing shaft and pinion, being intruded into the housing and secured at the entrance, and the driven shaft being provided with a journal bearing at its opposite end in the housing, as in the form shown in Figures l and 2.

In Figure 4 there is shown a slight modification of the constructionshown in Figure 3, consisting in mounting the driving gear, corresponding to -the annnlus, D, of the other form, and indicated as D, in Fig. 4, directly upon the propeller shaft, back of the hub of the universal joint coupling. In other respects the construction may be un`- derstood to be the samev as in Figure 3.

I claim i. ln combination with an automobile driving mechanism `comprising a transmission Lcasing and `a power-communicating shaft protruding rearwardly therefrom, said transmission Vcasing having a-bearing for,V

portion of the shaft between its emergence from 'the` casing land the universal joint thereof,'a gear member'rnounted on the protruding lportion of the shaft back of the universal joint and within said supplemental housing, a driven shaft journaled in said supplemental f housing and a pinion 'thereon VInesfhin'g'with said gear, said driven shaft protruding from the `'su-pplementalf housing and adapted-forconnectionof a exible driv ing shaft.-

y2. ln Acombination` `With an automotive vehicle drivingv mechanism comprising a fore'and-aft extending power-communicating shaft, a casing from which it protrudes having abearing for 'said shaft constituting a'k closure Afor the casing at'the emergence ofr the shaft therefrom,.said shaft'having a univlfversaljoint outside "the casing for accommodating the distortion of the frame structure in travel; a gear on said shaft between said journal bearing and the-universal joint member proximate thereto; ka housing for said gear removably mounted on the frame structure adjacent to and independent of said journal bearing, fwhich constitutes e) the closure ofthe casing, said housing"'having an aperture positioned and diniensionedfor admitting a driven gear for meshing with the first mentioned gear, said driven gear and its shaft and a sleeve journal bearing for said 'driven shaft intruded endwise through said aperture, the Asleeve being made fast 'to the hoi'ising thereat With the end ofthe 'sleeve and the end of the driven shaft cX- `terioillv accessible for attachment of ashaft-4 and casing. f

3; In-the construction defined in claim l,

Vl'oregoing,` the first 'mentioned gear being fast onfthe universal joint member which is proximate the journal bearing which .conf

stitutes the casing closure.

4l. In the construction defined in claim l,

foregoing, the universal jointmember having a hub Vby which ,it issecured tor the shaft, Vand the gear being an annulus yencom-` passing and rigid with said hub. k

lirtestimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Ghicagmlllinois, this 21st dayof vMarch, 1922.

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